CWA of Washington October 27 Action Alert – Absolutes

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” John Jay, America’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice

Dear CWA of Washington Member,

Washington State continues to make a reputation for itself by being one of the leaders in “progressive” ideas. Once, when I was in Washington, D.C., someone responded to my statement that I was from Washington State with, “Oh, you’re from the left coast!” I had never heard that phrase, but if the shoe fits … !

Religious Liberty of Businesses Targeted

Sadly, many of our citizens are suffering because of the “progressive” nature of our state. Coach Joe Kennedy was fired by the Bremerton School District when he refused to yield to their pressure to stop his short, private prayer on the football field after each game. Florist Barronelle Stutzman was sued by the state’s attorney general when she declined to celebrate a homosexual wedding by supplying the flowers, although other florists in the Richland area were more than happy to do so. The Stormans family continues to stand for their right to not supply abortion-causing pharmaceuticals and, again, there are plenty of other pharmacies in the Olympia area willing to profit from those drugs. In all three cases, it is increasingly clear that the Washington State government is targeting Christians for living out their faith as allowed in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting the freedom of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … ” Remember that while those three cases wind their way through the court system, we need to continue to pray for Coach Kennedy, Mrs. Stutzman and the Stormans whose case made it to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which denied their claims and then in June the U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear their case.

Religious Liberty and Parental Rights Targeted In Education

It seems that Washington State’s governing authorities are focused on destroying not only religious liberty in this state, but also on interfering with parental rights again. For a decade, we have seen our public schools transform from teaching toward objective education standards to increasingly more subjective standards. Knowing how to get an answer has become more important than actually getting the right answer. How many of you want an accountant or pharmacist to use that philosophy? I don’t; that’s for sure! Now, in addition, the state plans to ignore parental rights and concerns and teach all of our children about “gender fluidity” from Kindergarten on. Please take a look for yourself, check out Washington’s Health and Physical Education Standards curriculum. Specifically pages 29 and 32. Consider what those new standards mean for people of faith, with all public-school children learning about gender identity and expression beginning in kindergarten, as well as teachers who disagree with that particular moral leaning being forced to teach something against their moral/religious/ethical conscience. The state’s argument is that this approach will lessen bullying of children. This is a strawman, for teaching against bullying for any reason covers this issue. Bullying is never acceptable.

Plus, as we all know, once abortion was accepted as legal, the number of abortions skyrocketed. Will we see a similar consequence from teaching our children that they can choose their own “gender”?

CWA’s Seven Core Issues (family and marriage, sanctity of human life, education, sexual exploitation, religious liberty, national sovereignty, and support for Israel) are what we fight for through our involvement in public policy. We believe that God’s Word provides eternal principles by which we need to live and that man must not ignore or compromise those principles. That’s rather absolute, isn’t it? God’s opposition wants us to accept that there are no absolutes and that their subjective approach is much more loving and tolerant. However, as John Adams said, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” I’m sure that modern day political correctness would not approve of Adams’ statement!

PRAYER and ACTION

PRAY! Pray for Coach Joe Kennedy, whose private prayer on the football field after games caused him to be fired by the Bremerton School District Judge. Last month, U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would have forced the Bremerton School District to rehire Coach Joe while his case is litigated. (District Does Not Have to Rehire Praying Coach).

TAKE ACTION! A pre-hearing rally for Mrs. Stutzman’s case will be held on November 15 at the Carlson Theatre at Bellevue College. It will start at 7:30 a.m. Click here for more information about this event that Family Policy Institute is putting on. Be sure to invite friends and family.

TAKE ACTION! VOTE! Thomas Jefferson once advised: “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” To be a responsible voter, please learn as much as you can about the candidates and issues. CWA has several non-partisan guides for the current election, which you can find at concernedwomen.org/she-votes-2016/.